About Joining Hearts
When Joining Hearts held its first main event in 1987, there was little known about HIV/AIDS. The world began to recognize its grave importance, and so our founders stepped up to start helping people living with HIV/AIDS in Atlanta. And now, 34 years later, the metro Atlanta community is once again in an HIV/AIDS crisis. While other cities in the country are seeing virtually no new HIV infections, Atlanta is seeing new infections at numbers we haven’t seen since the 1980’s.
Everyday there are a wide range of organizations working to stop the spread of HIV throughout Atlanta. We can’t support them without your continued support. It is just as important today as it was 34 years ago to support this cause; to support the local organizations and people that are fighting to stop the spread of the HIV virus and helping people who are living with the disease.
Since 1987, Joining Hearts has donated more than $2.7 million to our beneficiaries.
Our Mission
The mission of Joining Hearts is to raise awareness and funds to support prevention, care, and housing assistance to those impacted by HIV/AIDS in Atlanta.
History: Where it All Began
Joining Hearts was started in 1987 by a group of friends who wanted to do their part to help a friend impacted by HIV/AIDS who needed financial assistance to stay in his home. This group of friends decided to throw an event to raise funds to provide support for him to stay in his home.
The friends decided to make this an annual event with all the proceeds going to local organizations with a focus on helping people living with HIV/AIDS. This formed what is called now today as the Host Committee of Joining Hearts.
As needs and medical advances evolved, Joining Hearts had to do the same and expanded to add additional events to answer the call to action to make a bigger impact in Atlanta. In year 30, this led to a direct change in our focus by expanding our mission to support care and provision in addition to housing in which we were formed.
Board of Directors
Jerry Henderson
President
Jonathan Foulk
Vice President
Cory Jobe
Director of Finance & Volunteers
David Elsea
Director of Communications & Events
Michael Boggan
Director of Patrons & Hosts
Rosalyn Jordan
Director of Marketing
Patrons
Heart of Diamond: $5,000+
- Scott Evers & Al Besse
Heart of Gold: $3,000+
- William Mandarino
- John Richardson
- Andy Werts
Four Heart Patron: $1,950+
Three Heart Patron: $950+
- Robert Chubb
- Glen Reed, Jason Oergel, & John Dolan
- Michael Zenner & Ron Rodriguez
Two Heart Patron: $650+
- Danny Bergeron
- Phillip Cannon
- Newton Galloway
- Evan Glover & Mark Butt
- Peter Gourdin & Irvin Alvarenga
- Scott Hayes & Scott Porter
- Dan Heagney
- Thomas Hogshead
- David Holland
- Scott Horton
- Christopher Krebs & Steve Messner
- Rich Lacy
- Paul Lawrence & David Malo
- Kerry Loftis
- William Porter
- Roger & Bill Rutkowski
- Reggie Speegle
- John Stanton
- Raleigh Terry & Joshua Johnson
- Kevin Workman & Don Hemrick
- Philip Schintzius & Julius Brown
- John Hackett & Andrew Ridge
One Heart Patrons: $350+
- Thomas Barnette
- Ryan Budd
- Helmut Domagalski
- Bruce Eriwin
- Robert Gaul
- Warren Gump
- Brett Hill
- Paul Holland
- Sergio Orlando
- James Phelps
- Chris Privette
- Rim Ratliff
- Jon Santos
- Brad Smith
- Ronald Trible
- Michael Wheeler
Honorary Patrons
Honorary Patrons are people who have gone above and beyond for Joining Hearts over the years. They have donated time, money and/or guidance to help Joining Hearts become what it is today. We can’t do what we do without them:
- Alan Collins
- Barbara Roberts
- Bart Clennon
- Ben Hadsock
- Brian Stanton
- Charlie Frew
- Chip Hamner
- Dan Lax
- Dan Rauzi
- Doug Sleezer
- Drew Barton
- Ed Doolittle
- Greg Whitmire
- Jeff Brewer
- Jeremiah Lawson
- Joe Greene
- Jon Santos
- Keith Hand
- Ken Exum
- Kerry Loftis
- Kevin Jerome
- Kevin Kelly
- Mack Turner
- Mandy Murray
- Mark Lenkiewicz
- Mike Ertle
- Patrick McCulley
- Philip Rafshoon
- Rhonda Creekmore
- Steve MacNeil
- Tina Cunningham
- Tommy Brendiar
- Travis Denison
- Walt Bilinski
- Wes Berry
- Mike Pope
- Michael Vorndran
- Erin Bakermans
- Tim Burns
- John Baird
Host Committee
- Michael Boggan*
- Eliseo Sal Chavez
- David Elsea*
- Earl Fields
- Jonathan Foulk*
- Jerry Henderson*
- Tony Isom
- Cory Jobe*
- Rosalyn Jordan*
- David Ohmann
* Currently serving on the Joining Hearts Board
Partners
These are organizations that work with us to achieve our mission by helping to promote our events.